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Hello everyone!  Episode 110 features another edition of Herp Science Sunday with Dr. Alex Krohn. Alex and I had a crazy cool conversation with Dr. Evan Grant, of the Northeastern Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative at the USGS Eastern Ecological Research Center, Dr. Grant is a co-author on a paper regarding range-wide salamander densities, focusing on the Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus), and he guides us through some mind-blowing discoveries about these mostly invisible creatures of the woodland realm.

The paper we discussed in the episode is titled “Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests”, and was published in 2024 in the Biology Letters of the Royal Society Publishing, Vol 20 (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0033). If you would like a PDF copy of the paper, email me at somuchpingle@gmail.com and I will send it to you!

Here is the link for the Salamander Population & Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARCNet).

And as always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, it’s easy to do, you simply go to the So Much Pingle Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! You can also support the show via one-time contributions via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com).

And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc.

-Mike

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Hello everyone and welcome to Episode One Hundred and Five!  And I hope you all remain safe and healthy out there.

SMP Patrons! I want to thank Rich Takmajian for his contribution to the So Much Pingle podcast, via Patreon. Much appreciated, Rich, thank you so much.  And as always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, it’s easy to do, you simply go to the So Much Pingle Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! You can also support the show via one-time contributions via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com).

I recorded this episode back in early September, while the show was still on hiatus.  I was invited to give a presentation at the West Virginia Herpetological Society’s annual meeting, which was held this year at the New River Gorge. I can’t go any further without giving a shout-out to the good folks of the West Virginia Herp Society.  It’s a great group that focuses on that important three-legged stool of education, conservation and appreciation. This is not people sitting around talking about their ball pythons, these folks are well-versed in the herpetofauna of their home state and ongoing research and conservation efforts. Their meetings are family friendly and visitor friendly – in fact there were a lot of folks at the annual meeting that came from other states.

Thanks especially to Jared Cain, Josh Stover, Jon Tinney and Dylan Cooper for not only inviting me, but for making me and all the other attendees feel welcome and included. And, thank you all as well for arranging my interview with Dr. Thomas K. Pauley. Dr. Pauley and I talked at a picnic pavilion on a very chilly Sunday morning, and I am sure you will love this conversation as much as I did.

Thanks for talking with me, Dr. Pauley!  And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc.

-Mike